2022 Wayfarer Pinot Noir
The Estate

The 2022 Pinot Noir ‘The Estate’ displays a shimmering deep ruby color in the glass. The nose is beautifully perfumed, expressing fresh, pure fruit aromatics of Morello cherry, pomegranate, cranberry and orange peel augmented by dried sage, hibiscus and a touch of dried black tea leaves. Fine-textured, silky tannin makes for a luxurious mouthfeel, while well-integrated oak provides a refined polish to the vibrant fruit character. Lively acidity drives a satisfying balance between richness and delicacy that culminates in a long and complex finish.

Each block was picked by hand in the cool pre-dawn hours, and the fruit delivered to the winery before sunrise. We sorted the clusters by hand, with 4% reserved for whole-cluster fermentation.  We destemmed the remainder of the fruit before transferring it into stainless steel tanks for three to eight days of cold maceration. Fermentation was carried out by native yeast, and we punched the cap down by hand, with the frequency and technique determined by tasting each tank daily.  The free run wine aged in 228L French oak barrels, 53% new, for 10 months prior to bottling.

Wayfarer's 2022 vintage was the product of a cool growing season and warm harvest. Budbreak came two weeks earlier than average, resulting in an early September harvest. Wayfarer received significant rainfall in the winter months, replenishing the soil, followed by a very dry April and May, which moderated vigor in the vineyard. June rains required diligent canopy management to balance airflow and sunlight, which proved to be essential to both ripen the fruit in a cooler year, and to not overexpose it to heat later in the season. With below-average temperatures in June and July, 2022 was a cool growing season on the Sonoma Coast until the weather warmed significantly during harvest.  However, even on the hottest days during harvest, Wayfarer experienced a diurnal shift of 30 degrees Fahrenheit, preserving acidity and freshness in the fruit. Due to a series of prior drought years, 2022 was a very low-yielding vintage, with Chardonnay production down 50% and Pinot Noir production down 35%, creating a profound concentration in the wines. The 2022 wines display both the luxurious texture and fruit-driven character of a warm harvest as well as the elegance and vibrancy indicative of a cool growing season.